Milk bottle cap



May 9, 1933. L T w 1,907,615

MILK BOTTLE CAP Filed May 25, 193 2 LZ LAN Tax v M ONE Patented May 9,1933 LILLIAN TOWY, OF INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA MILK BOTTLE GAP Applicationfiled May 25, 1932. Serial No. 613,437.

This invention relates to improvements in caps for bottles and similarreceptacles. Heretofore milk bottle caps have been pro- Vided consistingof a section of flat paperboard, cardboard, or equivalent material,having a marginal integral tab which on seating the cap in the mouth ofa milk bottle is bent upwardly to facilitate removal of the cap onopening the bottle. Caps of similar construction of somewhat larger sizehave likewise been employed to close cartons, paper barrels and thelike. Usually insofar as I am aware these marginal tabs on the cap arenot made bendable on any particularly defined fold line nor are theyweakened along any transverse line. Consequently it is sometimesdiflicult to properly seat the cap and to form a leak proof closure.

An object of the present invention is to provide a cap of this characterhaving a tab foldable on a weakened line, facilitating the bending ofthe tab in such a manner that it may bend on an arcuate line to conformto the seat for the cap.

It is also an object of the invention to have a cap with a tab sofoldable as to'provide a small readily bendable lip adjacent the line offold, which can be bent upwardly to snugly fit against the seat for thecap and maintain a tight leak proof closure for the receptacle at thelocation of the tab.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be mademanifest in the following detailed description, and specifically pointedout in the appended claims, reference is had to the accompanying drawingfor an illustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view illustrating the under side of 'a closure capembodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially uponthe line 22 uponFigure 1 illustrating the tab as having been bent upwardly withouthaving been actually seated during the upward bending of the tab.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a milk bottle neck illustrating the capembodying the invention as having been seated therein.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, wherein similar referencecharacters designate similar parts throughout, the cap consists of abody 10 usually circular in form to conform to the shape of a milkbottle mouth or the top of a carton or paper barrel as the case may be.It has an integral marginal tab 11 and the whole of the cap isoriginally in the same plane or in a flat condition. The cap ispreferably formed of paperboard, cardboard, or an equivalent material,the conventional material used in milk bottle caps being of a laminatedpaper structure. The marginal tab 11 is preferably, although notnecessarily, of a dovetailed shape as clearly shown in Figure 1 and inthe style of caps of this character heretofore employed on bending ofthe tab 11 the tab has a tendency to bend on a straight line joining thecorners 12 and 13 at the base of the tab. As will be readily understood,this tab is subsequently used to facilitate removal of the cap from theneck 14 of the milk bottle or similar receptacle. When the tab tends tofold on a straight line joining corners 12 and 13 it is apparent that asthe shape of the seat 15 is circular that this line, being a secant of acircle, does not have the cap perfectly tight at the base of the tab.The present invention contemplates scoring or cutting the tab 11 on atransverse line 16 which is spaced slightly, namely aboutone-thirty-second of an inch from the arcuate line joining corners 12and 13. The cut or scoring extends about half the distance through thethickness of the tab or it may extend a shorter distance through thetab. With this weakened line present it is possible to bend the tab' 11upwardly quite easily, as shown in Figure 2. The bending does not occurexactly on the line of the cut 16 but instead occurs closer to thearcuate line joining corners 12 and 13. The reduced thickness of theuncut portion of the tab facilitates the bending. The lower laminationsof the paper beneath'the bendable portion 17 tend to remain in the sameplane as the body 10 forming a lip 18 which is quite readily bendable.That is if one of the caps embodying the present invention is placed ona flat surface and the tab is bent upwardly, the lip 18 will tend toremain in the position shown in Figure 2. However, during cappingoperations when the capper, either a hand capper or a machine capper,rams the cap onto its seat in the mouth of the milkbottle 14, the tab 11is not only bent upwardly but the small lip 18 is also bent upwardly, asclearly shown in Figure 3, thus forminga layer of paper of half thethickness of the cap which is disposed between the bendable portion 17and the wall of the seat. This additional thickness of the upwardly bentlip maintains a tight joint across the base of the tab so that the capwhen in applied position is substantially liquid proof throughout itsengaging periphery. When it is desired to open the bottle, the top ofthe tab 11 is merely grasped and the cap is lifted bodily off of itsseat.

From the above described construction it will be appreciated that asimple, novel and advantageous milk bottle cap is provided havingimportant advantages over caps provided with marginal tabs which areuncut or unscored. The improved construction is such that itcan beemployed equally well with the conventional hand capper or machinecapper and may be likewise handled in stacked form in the tubularcontainers conventionally used to load hand cappers and machine cappers.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the invent-ion as defined by theappended claims.

I claim:

1.' A cap for bottles and similar receptacles comprising a circularpiece of paperboard or equivalent materialihaving a marginal tab,

.there being a cut on the under side of the tab spaced slightly from theline of attachment to the body of the cap which facilitates upwardbending of the tab and defines a small readily bendable lip which oninsertion into the receptacle will be bent upwardly over the edge of thebody to maintain a tight closure.

v 2. A cap for bottles and similar receptacles comprising a section ofpaperboard or equivalent material having a marginal tab, said tab beingfoldable on a line connecting edges of the section across the tab, therebeing a cut on the under side of the tab spaced outwardly slightly fromsaid line forming a small readily bendable lip between said out and linewhich on insertion of the cap into a receptacle will be bent upwardlyagainst the upwardly bent tab to maintain a tight closure.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

LILLIAN TOWY.

